EFFECT OF REACTOR GEOMETRY ON ION ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS FOR PULSED PLASMA DOPING (P 2 LAD)* Ankur Agarwal a) and Mark J. Kushner b) a) Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Illinois Urbana, IL 61801, USA Email: aagarwl3@uiuc.edu b) Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ames, IA 50011, USA Email: mjk@iastate.edu http://uigelz.ece.iastate.edu 52 nd AVS Symposium, November 2005 * Work supported by the VSEA, Inc. NSF and SRC.
AGENDA Ion Implantation Pulsed Plasma Doping (P 2 LAD) Approach and Methodology Operating Conditions Plasma Characteristics Ion Energy Distribution Functions Substrate Bias Voltage Power Reactor Design Summary ANKUR_AVS05_Agenda
ION IMPLANTATION Doping by ion implantation changes band structure (n-type or p-type and controls conductivity) Beam-line ion implantation (100s kev) techniques are typically used for depths > 100s nm. Shrinking critical dimensions are increasing demands for ultrashallow junctions (< 10s nm) Ideally for ultra-shallow junctions (20-50 nm), dopant ions should have energies < 500 ev. Ref: P.K. Chu et al., Mat Sci Eng R, R17, 207 (1996) ANKUR_AVS05_01
ION IMPLANTATION Extending beam-line ion implantation to ultra-low energies is difficult: Line-of-sight process Space charge induced divergence limits currents Low throughputs Although techniques exist to overcome space charge limitations they have drawbacks: Auto-neutralization produces loss of beam current. Deceleration: bimodal energy distribution on the wafer Molecular ion implantation: reproducibility issues. Plasma ion implantation is an alternative approach. Pulsed plasma source containing dopant ions Ions accelerated across the sheath and implanted in the wafer Pulses repeated until desired dose is achieved. ANKUR_AVS05_02
P 2 LAD (PULSED PLASMA DOPING) P 2 LAD is a pulsed plasma technique for low energy ion implantation. A plasma is produced on every pulse (many khz). The substrate is pulsed negative to the desired implant voltage. Ions are extracted from the plasma, accelerated across the sheath and implanted into the wafer. Etching, contamination and wafer charge damage are all improved with reduced plasma-on time. High throughput at low energies. Small footprint of tool. Si-Wafer Anode Plasma region Sheath Cathode Ref: VSEA ICOPS 2002 Pulsed Bias ANKUR_AVS05_03
P 2 LAD CHALLENGES Junction depth is determined by bias voltage and identity of ion species produced in the plasma: Depends on geometry of source and operating conditions (pressure, gas mixture, flow rate, sheath thickness) Run-to-run doping repeatability related to controlling plasma parameters: Plasma uniformity over wide range of implant energies Materials have different secondary electron coefficients Process Challenges: Finite pulse rise/fall times produce non-monoenergetic ions. Short pulse-on (µs) followed by long after-glow period (ms) may produce unwanted etching. ANKUR_AVS05_04
HYBRID PLASMA EQUIPMENT MODEL (HPEM) A modular simulator addressing low temperature, low pressure plasmas. Electromagnetics Module: Electromagnetic Fields Magneto-static Fields Electron Energy Transport Module: Electron Temperature Electron Impact Sources Transport Coefficients Fluid Kinetics Module: ANKUR_AVS05_05 Densities Momenta Temperature of species Electrostatic Potentials
P 2 LAD: REACTOR GEOMETRY Inductively Coupled Plasmas (ICPs) with pulsed DC biasing. < 10s mtorr, 10s khz, 100s W kw ANKUR_AVS05_06
P 2 LAD: OPERATING CONDITIONS Quantity Base Case Value Pressure (mtorr) Power (W) Gas Flow-rate (sccm) DC Bias (kv) Pulse Frequency (khz) 10 500 NF 3 (surrogate for BF 3 ) 100 1 35 µs pulse width 5 µs pulse rise 5 µs pulse fall ~8 ANKUR_AVS05_07
P 2 LAD: DC VOLTAGE PULSE Finite rise and fall times (may depend on voltage) produce structure in ion energy distributions to substrate and may cause plasma instabilities. ANKUR_AVS05_08
Ar/NF 3 : NF 2+ DENSITY 1,000 V; Max: 1.4 x 10 10 cm -3 10,000 V; Max: 1.4 x 10 10 cm -3 Plasma density peaks near the coils sheath thinner on the outside of the substrate. Note pulsation due to negative ionpositive ion transport. 10 mtorr, 500 W, pulsed DC, 100 sccm, Ar/NF 3 = 0.8/0.2 ANKUR_AVS05_09 ANIMATION SLIDE
Ar/NF 3 : ELECTRON DENSITY 2,500 V; Max: 3.7 x 10 10 cm -3 10,000 V; Max: 4.5 x 10 10 cm -3 Electrons rapidly move out of sheath. Ions slowly accelerated in opposite direction. Impulsive charge separation launches electrostatic waves. Slow infilling of sheath at higher bias with thicker sheath. 10 mtorr, 500 W, pulsed DC, 100 sccm, Ar/NF 3 = 0.8/0.2 ANKUR_AVS05_10 ANIMATION SLIDE
ION ENERGY ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION: PULSED DC BIAS IEAD peaks near applied dc bias voltage. Angular distribution narrows with bias on; broad without bias. Longer tail with bias due to sheath thickening (ion transit time increases and becomes collisional). Asymmetry results from sheath structure. ANKUR_AVS05_11
ION ENERGY ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION: ICP POWER Sheath becomes thinner with increasing ICP power and plasma density. Peak energy increases increasing ICP power due to smaller transit time. Tail is less prominent with increasing power as is less collisional and ion transit time decreases. ANKUR_AVS05_12
ICP POWER: TOTAL ION FLUX Total ion flux increases with increasing ICP power with more light ions (more dissociation). Peak energy increases with increasing ICP power due to shorter transit times of lighter ions. 10 mtorr, -1000 V pulsed DC, Ar/NF 3 = 0.8/0.2, 100 sccm ANKUR_AVS05_13
ICP POWER: ION DENSITY, SHEATH THICKNESS Ion density increases with increasing ICP power. Sheath thickness decreases and is less collisional. Tail of IEAD extends to lower energies due to shorter crossing times. 10 mtorr, -1000 V pulsed DC, Ar/NF 3 = 0.8/0.2, 100 sccm ANKUR_AVS05_14
EXTENDED REACTOR DESIGN: [e], [NF 2+ ] [e]; Max: 1.4 x 10 10 cm -3 Radius: 40 cm; Height: 22 cm Source of ions moved further away Note that the plasma density over wafer is very uniform. Uniform sheath structure; affects IEAD asymmetry 10 mtorr, 500 W, -10,000 V single pulse DC, 100 sccm, Ar/NF 3 = 0.8/0.2 ANKUR_AVS05_15 [NF 2+ ]; Max: 1.1 x 10 10 cm -3 ANIMATION SLIDE
IEAD: STANDARD REACTOR DESIGN IEAD asymmetry may result in nonuniform dopant profile. Control of IEAD is achieved by changing radial profile of ion flux, sheath structure. 10 mtorr, 500 W, -10,000 V pulsed DC, 100 sccm, Ar/NF 3 =0.8/0.2 ANKUR_AVS05_16
IEAD: EXTENDED REACTOR DESIGN IEAD asymmetry: Non-uniform ion density distribution Source of ions is offaxis near the coils. Ions preferentially approach from where ion density is maximum. Larger reactor enables ions to have diffusion dominated center peak profile. ANKUR_AVS05_17 Radius: 40 cm; Height: 44 cm
IEAD: EXTENDED REACTOR DESIGN Radius: 40 cm; Height: 22 cm IEAD symmetry restored; angular width increases with radius. Alternately, source of ions can be controlled by changing coil positions. ANKUR_AVS05_18
IEAD: HORIZONTAL COILS IEAD asymmetry still exists; not as prominent in standard reactor. Alternately, control can be achieved by repositioning shield ring. 10 mtorr, -10,000 V pulsed DC, Ar/NF 3 = 0.8/0.2, 100 sccm ANKUR_AVS05_19
CONCLUDING REMARKS Pulsed plasma doping was investigated for low energy ion implantation to form ultra-shallow junctions. DC Voltage pulse characteristics important If pulse is not long enough, sheath does not completely develop Affects dosimetry/pulse Time averaged IEADs Peak energy near applied dc bias voltage Increasing bias narrows the angular distribution Collisional sheath and finite pulse rise times: long transit time low energy ions form tail Peak energy increases with increasing ICP Power; less significant tail as a result of decreasing sheath thickness ANKUR_AVS05_20
CONCLUDING REMARKS Launch of electrostatic waves can affect plasma stability. Due to impulse of applied bias causing charge separation. Slower application of bias must be traded off against less mono-energetic IEADs. Angular distributions are skewed at high biases due to nonuniform plasma and sheath thickness; addressable by redesign of reactor. Uniformity achieved by changing sheath structure Redesign includes changing coil positions, reactor dimensions or shield ring position ANKUR_AVS05_21